


In Which Joly's Cousin Stays The Night

by orphan_account



Series: La Maison d'ABC [3]
Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Gen, M/M, sorry - Freeform, there's an original character in here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-06
Updated: 2013-05-06
Packaged: 2017-12-10 14:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/787137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joly's fifteen-year-old cousin Gwen has to stay the night at La Maison d'ABC when her mom has a doctor's appointment three hours away.  No one told her that the house wasn't just home to Joly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Which Joly's Cousin Stays The Night

**Author's Note:**

> I got really bored in math class and thus another addition to La Maison d'ABC was born. Also, in this I pictured Movie!Joly, who was played by Hugh Skinner. Do what you will with the appearance of Gwen.

Joly had a couple cousins.  Eight, if he was exact.  Most of them were in college, like him, or married, but there was one, Gwen, who was fifteen.  She was the youngest and she  _hated_  it.  The two of theme were a team at family gatherings, him protecting her from awkward boyfriend questions, her shielding him from those grown-up conversations he so despised.  They avoided the masses at Thanksgiving and Christmas, instead closeting themselves in back rooms with a pack of cards or a pair of dice.  

They never knew how close they were, how truly special their brother-sister relationship was until Gwen's best friend was diagnosed with leukemia.  She had called Joly in tears, scared she was going to lose her closest friend.  He'd reassured her that there was a higher cure rate now, that people under the age of eighteen were more likely to beat the disease, that nowadays there was an eighty-percent survival rate.  There was a sinking feeling in his chest, however.

Six months later, Gwen called him again.  She wasn't crying, but her voice was shaking and she seemed unable to get her thoughts out.  Her best friend had died.  He'd only been fourteen.

They went to the funeral together -- Joly didn't think Gwen would have been able to go with either of her parents.  She trembled the whole time, tears tracing their way down her face.  She clutched his hand in hers, not letting go until they went to go talk to his mother, who was white and emotionless.  His father and three brothers were also there, not talking.  

After the funeral, Joly brought Gwen back to the house he shared with the rest of Les Amis.  Her mother had had a doctor's appointment three hours away, and Gwen couldn't stay home alone.  She was going to stay with him.  When they got to the house, she changed into a pair of pajamas and curled up on the couch with a book.  Joly sat down next to her and she eventually rested her head on his shoulder and let him stroke her hair.  

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked gently, looking down at her.  She shrugged.

"Maybe someday."  Her voice was cracked and rough from crying and lack of speech.  She sighed.  "He's the only one who didn't call me Gwendolyn.  Besides you, obviously.  But sometimes he'd call me Guinevere.  Just because he could.  He used to call himself Arthur and joke that we were meant to be together."  Of course, the door opened then, and Jehan walked in, his mint-green sweater and floral jeans a dramatic contrast to the gray light that floated through the windows.

"Oh, um.  Am I interrupting something?" he asked awkwardly, accidentally smacking into the table.  He was met with two pairs of piercing eyes -- one pair blue, the other gray.  

"Nah," Gwen said, curling further into herself and opening her book again.  "Not interrupting a damn thing."  Joly eased off the couch and pulled Jehan into the kitchen.

"Did I do something wrong?" Jehan asked, his large green eyes worried.  

"No, you didn't do anything wrong.  Just . . . Gwen's my cousin.  She's practically my sister.  She's staying here tonight and her best friend died this week, so she's having a tough time with human interaction in general."  

"Oh."  Jehan thought for a moment, then dashed out to the sitting room.  Joly followed at a slightly more sane pace, and stopped in the doorway.  Jehan was hugging his little cousin, holding her as she just broke down in tears, murmuring little nothings.  She looked like she'd really needed that cry.  

Courfeyrac showed up then, slipping in the door and pausing next to Joly.

"Who's the chick?  She's kind of cute."  Joly speared him with a glare.

"She's my cousin,  _she's fifteen,_ and you're in a committed relationship."  Courfeyrac looked slightly disappointed.  

"Right."

**Author's Note:**

> This ended up being more of a "les Amis are great people and they will comfort anyone" sort of thing, but I like it. It was supposed to be a little funnier but it turned out pretty sad, especially as my best guy friend is currently fighting leukemia at the moment.


End file.
